System, method and graphical user interface for controlling a game

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes a display screen, and computing hardware to execute a software product. Executing the software product results in generating and rendering a graphical user interface on the display screen to facilitate user interaction. The graphical user interface, when rendered, presents one or more graphical objects, a pointer object configured to be movable over one or more of the one or more graphical objects, and configured to invoke a menu list containing one or more user selectable options as the pointer object is clicked or tapped over the one or more of the one or more of the graphical objects. A user selectable option is selected the pointer object swipes a touch sensitive object and the software product can maintain an effect corresponding to the selected option to be applied to the graphical objects and enable a change in status of the graphical objects.

BACKGROUND

The aspects of the disclosed embodiments generally relates to userinterfaces, and, more specifically, to graphical user interfaces forgaming systems.

Currently, examples of computing devices include tablet computers suchas iPads, and smart phones, including Apple's iPhone®, Google's Android®phone, and Symbian® phones. These computing devices have extremelyuser-friendly interfaces, for enabling easy and quick interaction withusers thereof. Most of these devices incorporate touch-sensitive screensfor receiving users' inputs and facilitate smooth user interaction.Gaming software is employed in many of these devices for leisurepurposes. An important aspect of a gaming system is an ease with which auser can enter desired inputs and interact with the user interface ofthe device on which he/she plays a game. For devices that lack atouch-screen facility incorporated therein, the only possible ways ofinteraction of the user while playing a game on such devices, is byclicking an associated mouse, using associated keyboard functions/keysto operate, or using associated joysticks. The experience with the‘point and click’ or ‘joystick’ incorporated in many lower-gradeelectronic devices is incompatible and often time consuming, whileplaying a game. Specifically, there are specific games where auser/player needs to use clicking, pointing, tapping and draggingoperations frequently, and often at different spots, which is hard tooperate through a mouse or a joystick. For example, in a typical gamingenvironment, where a user obtains points by building blocks on certainspatial locations of the gaming interface, operations like tapping andclicking multiple times, degenerates the screen, and often deterioratesit by producing scratches or dirt, for example, in cases where clickingoperation is performed through fingers on a touch-sensitive screen.

Therefore, considering the aforementioned problems, there exists a needfor a better and highly congenial graphical user interface for a gamingsystem, while playing a game on a computing device.

Accordingly, it would desirable to provide a user interface and systemthat solves at least some of the problems identified above.

SUMMARY

As described herein, the exemplary embodiments overcome one or more ofthe above or other disadvantages known in the art.

The present disclosure seeks to provide an extremely compatiblegraphical user interface that facilitates an easy user interaction whilethe user plays a game on a computing device.

In an aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic deviceincluding a display screen and a computing hardware. The computinghardware is capable of executing a software product corresponding to agaming system. When executed on the computing hardware, the softwareproduct generates and renders a graphical user interface on the displayscreen of the electronic device. When the graphical user interface isrendered, it presents multiple graphical objects, and a pointer capableof moving over one or more of the graphical objects. As the pointer isclicked or tapped over one or more graphical objects, it invokes a menulist on the graphical user interface, containing a set ofuser-selectable options. As a user selects one of the appearing userselectable options from the menu list, and drags the pointer or swipes adisplay sensitive object through a portion of a specific graphicalobject, or through one or more graphical objects, the software productapplies an effect corresponding to the selected option, to the portionof the specific graphical object, or to the one or more of the graphicalobject, respectively. This enables a quick change in the status of theportion of the graphical object to be achieved, or the one or more thegraphical objects.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method offacilitating interaction of a user with a graphical user interface. Thegraphical user interface corresponds to a gaming system, and isgenerated and rendered on a display screen of an electronic device. Asoftware product corresponding to the gaming system is executed on thecomputing hardware of the electronic device, to generate and render thegraphical user interface on the display screen. The method includesrendering one or more graphical objects within the graphical userinterface. The method further includes clicking or tapping on one ormore graphical objects through a pointer, to invoke a menu listcontaining a set of user selectable options. Each user selectable optioncorresponds to an effect to be applied to a portion of a specificgraphical object, or to one or more graphical objects. A user selects aspecific selectable option and performs a dragging operation or aswiping operation over a portion of the specific graphical object, orover one or more of the graphical objects. On performing the dragging orswiping operation, the method applies the effect corresponding to theselected option, to the portion of the specific graphical object, or tothe one or more of the graphical objects.

The method and system of the present disclosure facilitates easyinteraction of a user with a graphical user interface, while playing agame on an electronic device. Moreover, the method avoids the cumbersomeoperations of clicking or tapping on multiple spots of the interface,while desiring to perform a specific operation, during playing the game.

Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the presentdisclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detaileddescription of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunctionwith the appended claims that follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are illustrations of a graphical userinterface as presented on a graphical screen of a computing deviceoperating pursuant to prior art;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a manner of operation of a graphical userinterface pursuant to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a graphical user interface of a gameexecuted on a computing device, wherein the graphical user interface isoperable to function pursuant to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the graphical user interface of FIG. 5including invocation of a menu list;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the graphical user interface of FIG. 5 witha tool symbol activated and in a state to be user-swiped over a regionof the user graphical interface;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of the graphical user interface of FIG. 7after an operation has been applied to the region;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a communication network including a serverand a computing device arranged to implement the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary method for facilitating easyinteraction of a user with a graphical user interface, in accordancewith the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B illustrates exemplary screenshots of an examplegame using the graphical user interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description discloses aspects of the claimedinvention and the ways it can be implemented. However, the descriptionis not intended to define or limit the invention, such definition orlimitation being solely contained in the claims appended thereto.Although the best mode of carrying out the invention has been disclosedcomprehensively, those in the art would recognize that other embodimentsfor carrying out or practicing the invention are also possible.

The present disclosure pertains to a graphical user interface for agaming system, for facilitating easy and quick interaction of a userwhile playing the game, and for avoiding cumbersome operationscontemporarily experienced while using a mouse or a joystick when a gameis played on an electronic device.

Gaming systems are incorporated for leisure purposes into manyelectronic computing devices, including computers, iPads, mobile phones,tablet computers and smart phones. While playing games on computingdevices without a touch-screen facility, including many conventionallyavailable desktop and laptop computers, the major mode of interaction ofa player with a gaming system's interface is through input devices, suchas mice, certain keys on the keypads, and joysticks coupled to thecomputing devices. In many games, the player often desires to obtainquick application of certain operations, for which he/she needs to useclicking or tapping operations multiple times, and at different regionsof the interface, which is often time consuming. Most contemporary smartphones and tablet computers have now incorporated touch screen displays,and playing games on these devices is comparatively easier. However,while interacting with the touch sensitive screen acting as a tactilesurface for the graphical user interface corresponding to a game,multiple clicking or tapping operations at a single or different placesmay deteriorate the screen. Moreover, the screen often suffersdegeneration over a longer period of use, producing scratches and dirtspots on the screen, as a device is used too often for playing games,which is often undesirable. Also, certain operations require consistentclicking and tapping at different locations on the graphical userinterface, which takes time to enable the operations.

FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 depict the graphical user interface correspondingto a farming game. Reviewing these figures, FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, theyillustrate how different relevant operations are conventionallyperformed, and cognitive problems faced by a user/player, whileperforming these operations. FIG. 1 includes a farming field 100, andmultiple characters 106 which control the operations on the field 100.The characters 106 are controlled by the user/player, and are moved andallowed to perform different operations within the field 100. A scorecard 104 is included in a top left corner of the graphical userinterface, and different houses 102 are shown, where the characters 106can rest or hide. The game is concerned with growing differentcrops/fruits in different suitable parts of the field 100. For example,suppose that the character 106 desires to grow something in a specificregion of the field 100. In FIG. 2, the player selects a graphicalobject 200 corresponding to a location whereat he/she wishes to grow aspecific crop. The selection is made by tapping an object 200 throughthe mouse, or by touching a graphical user interface, if the interfaceis touch-sensitive. As the player taps or touches the object 200, a menulist 202 appears, containing different selectable options correspondingto different crops that can be grown in that area, for example,raspberries 206, blueberries 204, strawberries 208, etc., as shown.Suppose the player has decided to grow blueberries 204 in one portion,and raspberries 206 in another region of the field. For this, the playerselects the relevant options and selects the corresponding regions wherehe/she wishes to grow them. Continuing further, the updated field 100 ofFIG. 1 is shown now in FIG. 3, where blueberries have been shown grownin a region 300, and the raspberries have been shown grown along theregion 302. A major problem here arises when the farming field issubstantially large, and different crops are required to be grown indifferent regions of the farming field, quickly. Furthermore, it may bedesirous to grow a specific crop in different regions of the field,lying proximal to each other, or in abutment. For enabling this, theuser needs to select each of those regions individually, throughmultiple clicking/tapping operations through the mouse, or by pointingthe finger or a touch sensitive object like a pen, on different regions,in a case where the screen of the device is a touch-sensitive screen. Inboth the cases, the operation consumes considerable time, andspecifically, when the operation is performed on a touch-screen throughfingers, it may eventually deteriorate the screen of the graphical userinterface.

The present disclosure provides an efficient and user-friendly graphicaluser interface for a gaming system, like the one shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.3. The interface facilitates easy and quick operations by dragging apointer object or by performing a swiping action over differentgraphical objects of the interface.

Specifically, the present disclosure is related to performing a swipingoperation on the graphical user interface of a gaming system, whilecontrolling or facilitating operations on the interface. FIG. 4illustrates the swiping operation that can be performed on the graphicaluser interface of a gaming system, for controlling operations duringplaying a game. As shown, for performing the swiping operation of thepresent disclosure, the finger 408 is initially placed at a desiredpoint 402, and moved along a desired path 406, until a desireddestination point 404, in the normal fashion as it is employed tooperate menus and handle other applications in electronic devices havingtouch sensitive screen.

Furthermore, instead of using fingers, the swiping operation can also beperformed through a mouse, by pointing and tapping the mouse initiallyat the point 402, dragging the pointer on the screen along the desiredpath 406, through the mouse, and finally releasing the mouse at thefinal position 404. Additionally, any other display sensitive device oran organ, for e.g, a pen or a pointed device, can be used on the screenfor performing the swiping operation. Connecting this operation and itsadvantages applicable to the typical farming game illustrated in FIG. 1to FIG. 3, suppose a player wishes to grow raspberries all along a wideregion represented by the path 406 in FIG. 4, on different blocks on thefarming field. Then, he/she just needs to select the raspberry optionthat pops up, namely appears on the graphical user interface, bypointing on any point over the region, and swipe his/her fingers allalong the path 406. This operation will result in easy and quickergrowing of the raspberries along the entire path 406.

FIG. 5 to FIG. 8 are illustrations of the farming field shown earlier inFIG. 1, and these figures illustrate the advantages of the swipingfeature supported by the graphical user interface of the presentdisclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, a view of a farm field game 500 isillustrated, and the object of the game is to score points by producingdifferent products along different regions of the field 502. Growingdifferent crops/products, or performing different operations likeharvesting or watering of different sections of the field 502, carrydifferent points to be scored by the user. The field 502 has differentsegments/blocks that can be modified by the user to score points. Thesesegments/blocks are represented by the different graphical objects of agraphical user interface which presents the gaming environment or thefarm field 502 on the display screen of an electronic device on whichthe game is being played. Continuing further with FIG. 6, for growing aspecific product/crop, the user has to click or tap through the mouse,or touch with his finger, or through a display sensitive object (in casewhere the screen of the electronic device is touch sensitive), at aspecific desired position, for example, the one represented by a block602, as shown. As the user touches the block 602, an item specific menu(ISM) 604 corresponding to the block 602 appears on the graphical userinterface. Different blocks may have different item specific menus,corresponding to the possible crops/products that can be grown overthem. As shown, the ISM menu 604 corresponding to the block 602 showsdifferent user selectable options such as A, B, C, D and E, whichcorrespond to different crops that can be grown in the field. Eachselectable option, when selected, will render a specific tool forgrowing a different kind of crop/product, for example, maize, corn,carrots, wheat and rice. The embodiment shown in the figures anddescribed herein, is a mere example, and other embodiments incorporatingobvious variations may also be possible, thus, not limiting the scope ofthe present disclosure. For example, there may be other different kindof tools present in the ISM menu, depending on the block/segment of thefield clicked, tapped or selected. Specifically, if the selected block602 is already cultivated, then some of the selectable options appearingin the ISM menu may correspond to pesticide spray, harvesting, pouringwater, etc. Proceeding further in conjunction with FIG. 7, if the userdecides to cultivate rice, for example, then he/she selects a suitablecorresponding option from the ISM menu, and swipes his/her fingers allover the different blocks/segments of the field, wherever he/she desiresto grow the rice. Eventually, as shown, the cultivated rice appears allover the region 700 of the farm field, where the user has swiped his/herfingers, or dragged the mouse. As a further example to illustrate theapplication of swiping motion to other operations, if the user laterwishes to harvest the grown rice in certain areas of the region 700,then he/she taps, clicks or touches the region 700, and one of the toolsappears in another popping ISM menu, for sickle operation, as shown bythe tool 702. Continuing further in conjunction with FIG. 8, the userpoints his/her finger over the sickle tool, and swipes the finger overregions of the field where he/she wants to harvest the grown rice.Eventually, as shown, the user is successful in harvesting andcollecting rice from areas 802, and has intentionally left the otherareas 800 free from being harvested.

Emphasizing the advantages of the application of the swiping feature inthe graphical user interface of a gaming system, as compared to theprior-art solutions illustrated before through FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, allsuch operations like harvesting or cultivating in a farm field, forexample, are easily executed through the extremely quick and easilyoperable swiping action, which just takes a fraction of a second andavoids multiple clicking or tapping at different points on theinterface, as was undertaken in the prior-art gaming system illustratedearlier. This eliminates any effects like deterioration of the displayscreen if the screen is touch sensitive, or avoids any complexities inperforming different operations, irrespective of how big the farm fieldmay be.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an exemplary environment for implementingthe method and system in accordance with the present disclosure. Aplurality of electronic devices 902, 904, 906 and 908 are shown, throughwhich a user can connect to one of the different gaming servers 910 and940, through one of the multiple networks represented by 950, 960 and970. The servers 910 and 940 can be single or multiple servers locatedcentrally or distributed as cloud service/servers in the cloud. Theelectronic devices 902, 904, 906 or 908, can be any suitable electronicdevices having a computing hardware capable of supporting and executinga software product corresponding to a gaming system. Typical examples ofthe illustrated electronic devices may include a desktop computer, alaptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone including thepopularly known iPhones®, Android Phone® etc., an iPad, etc.Furthermore, any of the electronic devices can have the touch-sensitivescreen for obtaining user inputs through a touching operation, and someof them may also be coupled to, and operable through conventionaldevices such as a mouse, a joystick, a keyboard, etc. Moreover, thedifferent electronic devices 902, 904, 906 and 908, are commonlyconnected to each other through either of the servers 910 and 940,through suitable networks. The networks 950, 960 and 970, etc., may beWireless networks, such as a Wireless Local area network (WLAN), Localarea networks (LAN), cellular networks, for example, 2G network, 3Gnetwork, Internet, etc. Further, any of the electronic devices may alsouse its own Bluetooth network and connect to a Bluetooth server, tosynchronize with the other electronic devices. The shown exemplaryenvironment supports multiplayer gaming too, by facilitating multipleusers to be online, connecting through a suitable network, andsynchronizing with each other. Further, multiple databases, as shown bymodules 920, 930, etc., are coupled to different servers, andinformation related to the gaming environment is continuously stored inthese databases, when the different users are online for multiplayergaming. In one the devices, servers and computer hardware describedherein can be in communication with each other via wired or wirelessconnections. The devices, servers and computer hardware can include, arecoupled to or are in communication with a memory for storing data andinstructions and a processor that is operable to execute the commands,instructions and process described herein. In one embodiment, thedevices, servers and computer hardware can be comprised of or includemachine-readable instructions that are executable by a processingdevice.

For a single player gaming, a user logs on through any of the electronicdevices 902, 904, 906 or 908, and connects to one of the gaming servers910 or 940, through a suitable network, for example via the Internetand/or a wireless communication network. As the user logs on, andexecutes the gaming software on the computing hardware of the specificdevice that he/she utilizes, for example, device 902, a graphical userinterface corresponding to the game is generated, and is rendered on thedisplay screen of the device 902. The graphical user interface presentsdifferent graphical objects on the display screen of the device 902. Thegraphical objects may be represented by different blocks/segments of thegraphical user interface, on which different operations corresponding tothe game being played, can be performed. Such blocks/segments, beingrepresentative of the graphical objects of the graphical user interface,have been illustrated earlier in the previous figures depicting the viewof a farming game. Moreover, a point object (cursor) movable over thedifferent graphical objects appears on the graphical user interface, forcontrolling the gaming operations. If the device 902 does not have atouch-sensitive screen, the pointer object may be controllable through amouse, a joystick or a set of keyboard buttons, coupled to the device902 (though not shown). Furthermore, if the device 902 has atouch-screen functionality incorporated therein, the same controllingoperations can also be performed by swiping or tapping/clicking throughfingers or any display sensitive item, like any other pointing organ, apen, or a pencil.

Another database 980, coupled to the gaming server 910, serves as a backend database for the gaming server 910. As the user of the device 902starts playing the game, typical actions and gestures performed by theuser, are recorded in the of back end server 980. Specifically, suchactions are interpreted through the gaming server 910, and are sent asmessages to the back end server 980, which eventually maintains a logof, and a backup for the played game. Such messages are optionally inthe form of data packages sent over an Internet connection through whichthe device 902 is connected to the server 910, or sent over any otherwireless or wired connection connecting the device 902 to the server 910as aforementioned. Typical elements of such messages for maintaining aback end for the game, may include a header, a payload and a checksum.The checksum can be a function of the payload, or it may be a uniqueuser identifier, like the username, etc. The advantage of including thechecksum in back end maintaining message, is the possibility of avoidingprospective frauds while playing the game. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that an appropriate checksum function or a checksum algorithmmay be applied to the collected digital data, while the game is beingplayed, to obtain the checksum. Further, the checksum corresponding to aspecific data can be recomputed at any point of time, and compared tothe stored checksum, to avoid possible frauds. The back end messagesreceived by the server 910 are also sent to the other databases 920 and930 of the server 910. In these databases, these back end messages areused to maintain a continuous logic that represents the status of thegame, for example, the exact score of the player updated with time, andthe stage of the game that the player has already reached. With acontinuous receipt of the back end messages by the databases 920 and930, a regular updating of the game status is undertaken within thethese server databases 920 and 930, eventually, with time. This ensuresfacilitating the resumption of the game to its last status, in caseswhere the device 910 unexpectedly shuts down, or the user changes thegaming terminal, or he/she intentionally quits playing for a certainperiod, and logs in at some other time, such a possibility of resumptionassists to enhance user satisfaction with the graphical user interface.

Though only two servers 910 and 940 have been shown, there can bemultiple gaming servers coordinating with, and connected to each other,for implementing the gaming environment in accordance with the presentdisclosure. Moreover, the environment as shown in FIG. 9 is capable ofimplementing a thin client game, i.e., written in a computer programthat is partially independent in its computational roles, wherein a partof the gaming logic may be stored in any of the servers 910 and 940, anda part of it may be stored in the gaming terminal. The depictedenvironment also supports a thick client game, i.e., written in a solelyindependent computer, wherein the entire gaming logic may be stored inthe gaming terminal. Furthermore, the game is optionally completelyweb-based too, wherein most of the gaming logic may be stored in any ofthe servers 910 or 940.

Although, the gaming system implementable through the illustrated gamingenvironment, has been described for the case when a single user logs onto any of the electronic devices 902, 904, 906 or 908, the same gamingenvironment is capable of supporting multiplayer gaming, whereindifferent users may log on through different electronic devices, andsynchronize with each other by connecting concurrently through any ofthe common gaming servers 910 and 940, through suitable networks asaforementioned, and share a common graphical user interface representingthe ongoing game. In such embodiments, the graphical user interfacerendered on the display screens of the different electronic devices, isregularly updated, concurrently, through the logic data stored in thedatabases 920 and 930 of the gaming servers, at the back end.

In FIG. 10, there is illustrated a method of facilitating easyinteraction of a user with a graphical user interface corresponding to agaming system, in accordance with the present disclosure. At a step1002, a user playing a game on a specific electronic device, executesthe gaming software on the electronic device, to launch the game. Asaforementioned, the electronic device can be any suitable computingdevice, or a mobile phone, including a smart phone. To execute thegaming software, the user runs the appropriate computer programcorresponding to the game, on the computing hardware of the device. Thecomputing hardware includes the well-known building blocks orperipherals of the computing device, including the central processingunit, the memory (RAM and ROM), the fixed media devices, including thehard disk drive and the RAID array controller, and the removable mediadevices. Also, the device may be connected to a mouse, a keyboard or ajoystick, for executing operations on the device. The software productcorresponding to the game is being stored in the hard disk drive of thecomputing device. Further, at a step 1006, as the user executes thesoftware product for the game, a graphical user interface representingthe gaming environment appears on the display screen on the electronicdevice. As noted previously, and illustrated through the figuresdepicted earlier, the graphical user interface for the game includesdifferent graphical objects that represents the differentblocks/segments of the gaming environment. For example, if the game is afarming game, as described earlier, the graphical objects may representthe different segments/sections of the farming field, where differentoperations can be performed by the user to score points in the game. Ata step 1010, a pointer (cursor) movable on the graphical user interface,over the different graphical objects, appears on the interface. Thepointer facilitates interaction of the user with the user interface, forperforming different operations on the various graphical objects of theinterface. At a step 1014, when the user desires to perform a specificoperation, he/she clicks or taps on a specific graphical object of thegraphical user interface. Further, if the display screen of theelectronic device is a touch-sensitive screen, the user may also pressgently through his/her fingers, or any other display-sensitive object,like a pen, over a specific graphical object. In a corresponding farminggame example, as illustrated earlier, the user may wish to grow aparticular crop in a specific region of the farming field, representedby the graphical user interface. In that case, the user needs to clickor tap on the specific segment of the field, where he/she wishes toperform the growing operation. At a step 1018, as the user clicks ortaps on a specific graphical object, a menu list containing a set ofuser selectable options appears on the interface. Such optionscorrespond to different operations that can be performed on the selectedgraphical object that represent the specific region of the gamingenvironment. At a step 1022, the user selects the desired option fromthe menu list. As the selection is performed, a tool for facilitatingthe selected operation appears on the interface. At a step 1026, toperform the desired operation, the user swipes his/her fingers through aspecific path covering all the regions or graphical objects, or thorougha specific portion of a graphical object, where he/she wishes to performthat operation. Further, at this step 1026, the user may also use themouse, click at a specific point, and drag the pointer all over thedifferent graphical objects of the interface through the mouse, wherehe/she wishes to perform the operation. Further, the rapidity ofapplication of the operation over the different graphical objectsdepends on different parameters, for example the speed with which theswiping or dragging operation is performed, the acceleration duringswiping, etc. These parameters are directly correlated with theapplication of the operation over the different graphical objects. Goingfurther, at a step 1030, as the user stops the swiping of the fingers,or the dragging of the pointer through the mouse, the selected operationculminates, and the corresponding tool for that option disappears fromthe interface. At a step 1034, an updated graphical user interfaceappears on the display of the device, as the effect corresponding to theselected operation is applied to all the graphical objects over whichthe user has performed the swiping or dragging operation. At a step1038, the user decides whether or not any other gaming operation needsto be performed on any of the graphical objects of the interface. Ifyes, then the method reverts to the step 1014, where the user againselects a specific graphical object, and performs the succeeding stepsin a similar manner, including selecting an option from the menu list,and swiping across specific graphical objects.

The method and system of the present disclosure, for facilitating easyinteraction of a user with a graphical user interface corresponding to agame, provides substantial benefits while performing differentoperations in a gaming environment. Further, multiple clicking ortapping through the mouse or fingers, at different points of the screen,are reduced through the support of the swiping feature provided by theinterface.

A further example of a game is shown in figures FIG. 11A and FIG. 11Bshowing a screen shot of a game utilizing swiping feature of the userinterface. In figure FIG. 11A a tool 1102 is selected for harvestingwheat 1100. FIG. 11B show a wheat field with part of the wheat cut 1106and part left untouched 1104.

Though the present disclosure has been described comprehensively,through an exemplary embodiment where it is applicable in a gamingenvironment, and specifically through the example of a farming game, thedisclosure also finds applications in other gaming environments, and,generally, may be applicable to other graphical user interfaces, notpertaining to a gaming system also. In other aspects and applications,the user interface of the disclosed embodiments can be used with, and ascontrol for virtually any type of game. For example, the aspects of thedisclosed embodiments can be applied to, and used in conjunction with,building, arcade or puzzle solving games. Additionally, games such asstrategy games, action games, adventure, role playing and shooting gamescan benefit on and from the user interface of the disclosed embodiments.Additionally many types of other simulation games, other than includingthe farming game described herein, such as for example, construction andmanagement simulation games, can be controlled with the user interfaceof the disclosed embodiments.

Although the current invention has been described comprehensively, inconsiderable details to cover the possible aspects and embodiments,those skilled in the art would recognize that other versions of theinvention may also be possible.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a displayscreen; and a computing hardware which is operable to execute a softwareproduct, wherein executing the software product results in generatingand rendering a graphical user interface on the display screen, thegraphical user interface being configured to facilitate userinteraction; the graphical user interface, when rendered, presenting:one or more graphical objects; a pointer object configured to be movableover one or more of the one or more graphical objects, and configured toinvoke a menu list containing one or more user selectable options as thepointer object is clicked or tapped over one or more of the one or moregraphical objects, wherein: on selecting a user selectable option fromthe menu list, and performing one of a dragging of the pointer objectand swiping a touch sensitive object over the graphical user interface,through one or more graphical objects, or through a portion of aspecific graphical object, the software product is configured tomaintain an effect corresponding to the selected option to becontinuously applied to the one or more graphical objects, or to theportion of the specific graphical object, respectively, thereby enablinga change in status of the one or more graphical objects, or the portionof the specific graphical object, respectively.
 2. An electronic deviceof claim 1, further comprising a user input interface rendered over thegraphical user interface, the user input interface being configured toobtain and interpret a user's input corresponding to moving the pointerobject, clicking or tapping the pointer object, or swiping the touchsensitive object over the graphical user interface.
 3. An electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configuredcontinuously to apply the user selectable option to the portion of thespecific graphical object, or to one or one graphical objects, inresponse to a user's swiping the touch sensitive object over the portionof the specific graphical object, or to the one or one graphicalobjects, respectively.
 4. An electronic device of claim 1, wherein thegraphical user interface is configured to facilitate termination of theeffect corresponding to the selected option, and facilitate disappearingof the selected option, on termination of the dragging of the pointerobject or the swiping of the touch sensitive object.
 5. An electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the rapidity of application of the effectcorresponding to the selected option, over the portion of the graphicalobject, or over the one or graphical objects, is dependent at leastpartially on the speed of performing the dragging operation of thepointer, or the swiping operation of the display sensitive object.
 6. Anelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface is atouch-sensitive screen, and the user interface is implemented as atactile surface of the touch-sensitive screen.
 7. An electronic deviceof claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured todisable the application of the effect corresponding to the selectedoption, to the portion of the specific graphical object, or to the oneor more graphical objects, in response to termination of the dragging ofthe pointer object, or the swiping of the display sensitive object. 8.An electronic device of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interfaceand the software product correspond to a gaming system.
 9. An electronicdevice of claim 8, wherein the gaming system corresponds to a farminggame, the graphical objects of the graphical user interface correspondto different spatial regions of a farming environment in which the userdesires the one or more crops to be grown, and wherein the userselectable options in the menu list correspond to different farmingtools.
 10. An electronic device of claim 1, including a database forcontinuously recording and updating the change in status of the one ormore graphical objects, the software product being coupled to thedatabase and being configured to resume the status of the one or moregraphical objects to their last updated status in the database, in caseof interruptions in the operable state of the graphical user interface.11. A plurality of electronic devices of claim 1, connected to a serverthrough a network, the graphical user interface being generatedtemporally concurrently on each of the electronic devices, to facilitatea plurality of users' interaction with the graphical user interface,wherein the graphical user interfaces generated on the plurality ofelectronic devices are coordinated through the server and updatedconcurrently on the plurality of electronic devices with time.
 12. Anelectronic device of claim 1, the device being a desktop computer, alaptop computer, an iPad, or a smart phone, including an iPhone®, anAndroid® phone or a Symbian® phone.
 13. A method of facilitating userinteractions with a graphical user interface, the graphical interfacebeing generated and rendered on the display of an electronic device, byexecuting a software product on a computing hardware of the electronicdevice, the method comprising: rendering one or graphical objects withinthe graphical user interface; clicking or tapping one or more of the oneor more graphical objects through a pointer object, to invoke a menulist containing a set of user selectable options, the user selectableoptions corresponding to an effect to be applied to a portion of aspecific graphical object, or to one or more of the one or moregraphical objects; selecting a specific user selectable option, andapplying the effect corresponding to the selected option, to a portionof a specific graphical object, or to one or more graphical objects, byperforming one of a dragging operation of the pointer object and aswiping operation of a display sensitive item, over the specific portionof the graphical object, or over the one or more graphical objects,respectively.
 14. A method of claim 13, wherein the method includesconfiguring the graphical user interface to keep the effectcorresponding to the selected user selectable option active, until thetime the dragging operation or the swiping operation is performed, andconfiguring the graphical user interface to enable disappearing of theselected option when the dragging or the swiping operation isterminated.
 15. A method of claim 13, wherein the software productcorresponds to a gaming system.
 16. A method of claim 15, wherein thegaming system corresponds to a farming game, the graphical objectscorrespond the spatial regions of a farming environment, and the userselectable options correspond to different farming tools.
 17. A methodof claim 13, furthering comprising continuously recording and updatingthe change in status of the one or more graphical objects, coupling thesoftware product to the database, and resuming the status of one or moregraphical objects to their last updated status in the database, in caseof interruptions in the operations of the graphical user interface. 18.A method of claim 13, further comprising: connecting a plurality of theelectronic devices to a server through a network; generating thegraphical user interface temporally concurrently on the displays of thedifferent electronic devices; coordinating the plurality of graphicaluser interfaces through the server, and updating them concurrently withtime, to facilitate multiple users' interaction and coordination withthe graphical user interfaces.
 19. A method of claim 18, wherein thegraphical user interfaces corresponds to a gaming system, and the methodbeing implemented to facilitate an online multiplayer gaming system. 20.A software product recorded on a machine readable data storage medium,the software product being executable on the computing hardware of acomputing device, for implementing a method of claim 13.